U.S. Postal Service honors Wyeth with new stamp series

PENNSBURY — Andrew Wyeth, one of the most prominent artists of the 20th-century — whose realistic style defied artistic trends — was commemorated today on his birth centennial with the issuance of 12 Forever stamps highlighting his paintings.

The Andrew Wyeth Forever stamps were dedicated in his home town of Pennsbury, at the Brandywine River Museum of Art. The public is asked to share the news on social media using the hashtags #WyethStamps and #MyBrandywine.

Mastering a realistic style, Wyeth (July 12, 1917 – Jan. 16, 2009) created haunting and enigmatic paintings based largely on people and places in his life, a body of work that continues to resist easy or comfortable interpretation.

“The Postal Service takes tremendous pride in its stamp program, which celebrates the very best of American life, history and culture,” said Patrick Mendonca, U.S. Postal Service Senior Director, Office of the Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer, who dedicated the stamps. “And since today is the centennial of Andrew Wyeth’s birth, it’s the perfect occasion to celebrate the man whose masterful works have found a place in our homes — and in our hearts. Wyeth’s work resonated with millions of art enthusiasts around the globe. Now, these miniature works of art can touch many.”

Joining Mendonca in the ceremony was Wyeth’s son and acclaimed artist Jamie Wyeth and Brandywine River Museum of Art Executive Director Virginia Logan.

“My father, a prolific letter writer, would indeed be proud that a selection of his paintings now appears on U.S. postage stamps,” said Jamie Wyeth. “He would have relished using them!”

“In a year filled with celebrations marking the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art’s 50th anniversary, we are honored to help the United States Postal Service commemorate Andrew Wyeth’s remarkable career with a set of 12 Forever stamps on what would have been his 100th birthday,” said Logan. “This is an apt moment in time to reassess this artist’s incredible contributions to American art, and we are thrilled to have over 100 of his works currently on display in the Museum as part of the Andrew Wyeth: In Retrospect exhibition.”